Apparatus for conducting firing

Abstract

Apparatus for conducting firing adapted to the aiming of a cannon movable bearing and in elevation around a turning axis as a function of aim values given by a firing table corresponding to the cannon and other parameters of firing. The apparatus comprises a telescopic sight with an optical deviator element for displacement of the line of sight, the optical deviator element being mounted on a support coupled in bearing and in elevation with the cannon and being subjected to the action of a cam whose profile is determined by the aim values from the firing table and which is coupled to a motor controlled by a rangefinder device whose transmission and reception beams are connected in bearing and in elevation to the axis of the observation scope of the telescope. The opticial deviator element is articulated through the intermediary of a spherical articulation on the support connected to the cannon and the opticial deviator element is subjected to the signal of a detector of the vertical operating so that the observation axis must be maintained in a substantially vertical plane passing through the direction of the target.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. In an apparatus for conducting firing adapted to the aiming of a cannon movable in bearing and in elevation around a turning axis as a function of the aim values given from a table of firing corresponding to the cannon and of other parameters of firing and comprising an observation scope with an optical deflector element serving for the displacement of the line of sight, support means mounting said optical deflector and connected in bearing and in elevation with the cannon, cam means for moving said support means including a movable cam having a profile determined by the aim values from the table of firing, motor means for driving the cam, rangefinder means operatingly coupled to the motor means, said rangefinder means having transmission and receiving beams connected in bearing and in elevation to the axis of the observation scope, the improvement wherein said support means comprises a spherical articulation assembly pivotably supporting said optical deflection element for spherical movement and vertical detector means coupled to said optical deflector element for maintaining the axis of sight in a substantially vertical plane passing through the direction of the target. 
     
     
       2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said scope has an objective constituted by said optical deflector element and fixed cross-hairs in said objective. 
     
     
       3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said spherical articulation assembly comprises a cardan joint, a rectilinear guide member, a rotatable shaft securely mounting said guide member and coupled to the vertical detector means, a motor controlled by said vertical detector means and drivingly coupled to said shaft, and a slide secured to the optical deflector element and guided in said rectilinear guide member. 
     
     
       4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 comprising a shaft coupled to said cam to drive the same in rotation, and guide means secured to the rectilinear guide member and guidably supporting said shaft along an axis perpendicular to the direction of the rectilinear guide member. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3 comprising a shaft coupled to said cam to drive the same in rotation, said shaft being guided in rotation by said support means. 
     
     
       6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 comprising means for producing a laser transmission beam including a scope, a cardan joint connecting said laser scope and said observation scope to the support means for respective pivotal movement about mutually perpendicular axes, one of the axes of the cardan joint for the laser scope being said cardan joint coaxial with one of the axes of the cardan joint of the observation scope, the other axis of the cardan joint of the laser scope being parallel to the other axis of the cardan joint of the observation scope, and means pivotably coupling the laser scope and the observation scope. 
     
     
       7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 comprising at least one support fixed directly on said support means and carrying cross-hairs and the telemeter means. 
     
     
       8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein said rangefinder means comprises a rangefinder scope, said spherical articulation assembly comprising a sleeve surrounding the rangefinder scope and supported for rotation around an axis on said support means, said sleeve being coupled to and driven in rotation by said motor controlled by the vertical detector means. 
     
     
       9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 8, comprising a motor for driving said cam, a differential between said cam and said motor, and means coupling said differential to the motor for drive of the sleeve around its axis. 
     
     
       10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 comprising a feedback loop receiving signals from said rangefinder means, and a coder in said feedback loop, said movable cam being operatively coupled to said coder. 
     
     
       11. Apparatus as claimed in claim 10 comprising means for multiplying the signal from the coder for the control of observation and means for adding a signal to the signal from the vertical detector means. 
     
     
       12. In an apparatus for conducting firing adapted to the aiming of a cannon movable in bearing and in elevation around a turning axis as a function of the aim values given from a table of firing corresponding to the cannon and of other parameters of firing and comprising an observation scope with an optical deflector element serving for the displacement of the line of sight, support means mounting said optical deflector element and connected in bearing and in elevation with the cannon, cam means for moving said support means including a movable cam having a profile determined by the aim values from the table of firing, motor means for driving the cam, rangefinder means operatively coupled to the motor means, said rangefinder means having transmission and receiving beams connected in bearing and in elevation to the axis of the observation scope, the improvement comprising means for guiding said optical deflector element to displace the line of sight in a plane perpendicular to the turning axis, vertical detector means, motor means driven by said vertical detector means and a second optical deflector element movable under the action of said motor means to cause the image of the landscape to turn such that a vertical line through the landscape is substantially perpendicular to the turning axis. 
     
     
       13. Apparatus as claimed in claim 12 comprising an optical element in said scope constituted by a prism having an odd number of reflection faces turnable around an axis under the drive of said motor means as controlled by the vertical detector means. 
     
     
       14. Apparatus as claimed in claim 13 comprising a second movable optical element in said scope controlled by said cam and including cross-hairs. 
     
     
       15. Apparatus as claimed in claim 12 comprising a feedback loop receiving signals from said rangefinder means, and a coder in said feedback loop, said movable cam being operatively coupled to said coder. 
     
     
       16. Apparatus as claimed in claim 15 comprising means for multiplying the signal from the coder for the control of observation and means for adding a signal to the signal from the vertical detector means.